Rockers creating big sound waves

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: COURTESY OF VIC42.COM
The boys of Zerbin popped by London earlier in May to perform at Call The Office and speak to the paper about its sound and how why the band is now located in British Columbia.

Canadian indie rockers in the band Zerbin have been touring across Canada since 2009, but it wasn’t until winning awards in 2012 at Edmonton Music Awards for Best Single and Music Video of the Year that creative brains frontman Jason Zerbin and guitarist Peter Mol began to receive wider fame across the country.

The duo, accompanied by Duran Ritz on drums came to London May 9, playing at Call The Office in support of their most recent EP, Darling, which came out April 14.

“I think this is the first true Zerbin debut [that] we think there’s something in it that anyone can relate to,” Zerbin said.

With such a distinct name one would guess it from another language, evoking the calls of nature around Alberta, but that’s not the case.

“I started a solo project under my own name; Peter and I started collaborating, writing together and it became obvious that it wasn’t a personal thing it was becoming a band thing,” Zerbin said.

By then, the duo had been through several other band mates but the name is what continued to stick.

“We’d already had a significant amount of momentum under the name [Zerbin] so it just made sense to stick with it and turn it into a band.”

While calling Edmonton home, both Zerbin and Mol knew it wasn’t a city where the band would be able to flourish.

“I don’t think Edmonton played that huge of a role to what we sound like,” Mol said. “Sheet and sheet and sheet of snow every year [influenced us].”

The guys likened their home city to being deserted.

“What Edmonton did was ... throw us on an island alone, like a desert island of music and we had to come up with our own thing,” Zerbin said. “We do love Edmonton though, it’s a great city.”

When Zerbin and Mol relocated to British Columbia – where they currently situated – the band took advantage of the province’s well-established music scene, learning to appreciate the laid-back atmosphere of shows in the province to further develop their sound.

“Staying connected to the outside world with other musicians in other countries, just learning and playing together is how we formed our sound,” Mol said.

But that doesn’t mean Zerbin has lost respect for its hometown – in fact it’s quite the opposite.

“Edmonton was always a massive support to us,” Zerbin said. “They gave us our first radio spins and our first significant support … and we’re grateful for that.”

Sounding like early Born Ruffians mixed with Paper Lions, then thrown into a west coast indie rock blender; Zerbin has left little to the mind with soft-spoken lyrics dancing across its music.

The guys aren’t lying when they say, “This is our most authentic, true Zerbin debut that represents the sound of our collaboration.”